Hospital Insanity

Just saw in the latest Snoqualmie Valley Record that clearing and grading has started for the new hospital. What struck a nerve with me is how they were describing the site as a nice lush fern laden tree covered landscape, then in the next breath, jumping for joy at ripping and tearing it all down! Thus the de greening of the Parkway continues amidst joy and jubilation of city leaders! Now I wouldn’t have such a gripe about this new boondoggle, and most of the funding will be from the Federal Government, but our tax dollars will be needed for its future and continuing operation. The last discussions I saw amongst many if not most Valley residents, was this hospital was not needed or wanted, yours truly included. In case you have been under a rock or had your head in the sand (or up something), there is a beautiful state of the art medical facility just being finished minutes away on the Issaquah Highlands! It has a fantastic ER facility of which I just recently visited and received the greatest medical care of my life! Why oh why on Earth does Snoqualmie feel the need for this! Methinks that some of our city leaders and hospital district officials need to feel important and relevant and this hospital will somehow put them on the map. Hope you think you are getting your wish because I see nothing but foolishness in this!

The Snoqualmie Tribe has bought the old hospital and is making payments on it. Move out of their way and let them turn it into a first class clinic for the upper Valley to serve their people and also the rest of us who may need their services. They will let each and everyone get medical care when we need it! Then we can dissolve this hospital district, lower our taxes, and enjoy the natural beauty we have out here without having to endure yet more concrete and asphalt. But alas the door has been opened and it was quoted by Hospital Administrator Rodger McCollum, “That’s our future, if growth happens, we have property across the street for a hundred-bed hospital.” Sounds just wonderful…….not! The whole thing just sickens me. So much so, that maybe I’ll head over to Swedish and get checked out. Oh and by the way, I surely hope we have some decent and responsible contenders stand up to some incumbents in the next City political election, because I am voting for them.

Two Things You Should Listen To

In addition to my occasional podcasting these days, I also listen to quite a few others. One podcast I subscribe to is Public Radio International’s show Living On Earth. Just recently I listened to a show that contained two very interesting segments The first segment was on 2010 wild weather everywhere around the globe. While we may be seeing snow and ice in abundance this winter, there is a more global trend of actual warming and you’ll hear why! Check out the link below to listen to or download the show:

The Wild Weather of 2010

The second segment should be listened to by everyone who believes economic growth must be sustained to keep our current lifestyles where they are and about the burden to the Earth our consumptions patterns are bringing to bear! Over the span of a lifetime, the world’s population has tripled and consumption has become a way of life. Japanese Canadian academic, science broadcaster, and environmental activist David Suzuki reflects on these changes in his new book “The Legacy: An Elder’s Vision for Our Sustainable Future”. He tells host Steve Curwood that the path to a sustainable future is to stop elevating economy over ecology and to start imagining a brighter future.

The Legacy

You can read the show transcripts at each link, stream the audio, or just download the show to your computer. They are both very worthwhile listens. You may agree or disagree, but you just might learn something.

North Bend Growth

You know growth in North Bend would eventually happen. They have long lifted the building moratorium by acquiring substantial water rights and have started annexing land to pull that growth into the city boundaries to as they say “manage that growth”. It sounded like a good idea because North Bend doesn’t need a “Ridge”! Both communities struggle to accommodate future growth while trying to preserve the rural quality of life that is beloved out here! North Bend had no choice for over a decade while Snoqualmie slapped up thousands of homes up on the Ridge adding a retail center there also that struggles to keep tenants! Now that the flood gates have opened in North Bend, we shall see how well they do!

The city annexed what was called the Tanner addition east of the city and plans on directing new growth there. The Valley Record recently posed the question to some North Bend residents of just what should go into the new annex and I was appalled at some of their answers! One said more houses, well that is a given! Another mentioned a chicken restaurant……what does she mean a KFC? The other two were very surprising! One said a WalMart Superstore and the other said a Costo! I don’t get it! I don’t understand the reasoning of why anybody would want a WalMart in their town! Both Snoqualmie and North Bend are working with Federal grant money to upgrade and improve their downtown infrastructures North Bend has long desired to improve their downtown core! If a WalMart were to ever be approved for developement, it would decimate and put a lid on that idea! Talking about ruining your rural quality of life! There probably will be enough houses built that will erode that soon enough! As for a Costco, drive to Issaquah which is less than 15 minutes away and do you big block shopping there! When you already have the roses to stop and smell, why wish for the asphalt that will forever remove them. Wake up people!!